Good design is supposed to make our lives easier. Whether it’s a piece of furniture, a sign, or a kitchen gadget, the goal is usually to make things more practical and convenient. But sometimes, designers seem to forget that part of the job entirely. And instead of solving problems, their creations end up causing even more of them.
To show you what we mean, we’ve rounded up some hilarious design fails from a subreddit dedicated to spotting them. Scroll down to check them out, and don’t forget to upvote the worst offenders!
#1 The Logo Of A Store By My House
Image source: nah328
#2 A Locking Drawer That Can Be Bypassed By Removing The Upper Drawers
Image source: GeneralAlexander
#3 How On Earth Am I Supposed To Read The Label On This Bottle. (Yes! There Is Actually A Label In The Picture!)
Image source: Dark_Galaxyy
If you think about it, pretty much everything around us was designed by someone who had to make all sorts of decisions about how it should look and work.
The phone or computer you’re reading this on, for example. Someone decided how big the screen should be, where to put the buttons, and even what shape the letters you’re looking at right now should have.
The same goes for the bed you slept in last night or the chair you’re sitting on. There’s a surprising amount of thought behind things we barely even notice in our everyday lives.
#4 … Toilet Paper?
Image source: Glass_Commission_881
#5 Elevator 9 On Floor 14
Image source: Tokeee3
#6 Magnet Cant Lay Flat Bc Of The Curve
Image source: turntech_ghosthead
Of course, some things are designed much better than others. We can usually tell when something works well, just as we can spot a bad design almost immediately.
In fact, a study by Gitte Lindgaard and her colleagues at Carleton University found that people can judge whether a website looks appealing in just 50 milliseconds, which is faster than the blink of an eye.
But explaining exactly what makes one design better than another can be surprisingly tricky. So, what do professional designers have to say about it?
#7 Stairs At My Psychologist, I Tripped And Almost Fell Face First When I Opened The Door The First Time
Image source: Cryptid_Energy
#8 These Signs Are Giving Me Confusion
Image source: Blcksheep89
#9 The Quotes Make Me Doubt The Freshness Of Said Baked Goods…
Image source: Senor_Diablo
#10 The New Southwest Signs. People Don’t Know Which Side To Stand On… It Needs Arrows For Those Who Can’t Tell Orange Is Right And Blue Is Left
Image source: Coalrober
German industrial designer Dieter Rams, who spent decades designing products for Braun, came up with 10 principles of good design back in the 1970s. According to him, good design should make a product useful, easy to understand, and pleasant to look at.
He also believed that products should last a long time and avoid unnecessary details. His ideas have influenced generations of designers and are still widely discussed today.
#11 Every Lamp On The Street Is Like This. It’s Hasn’t Rained In A Week
Image source: EvilDMMk3
#12 Seat Numbers Are Exactly Between The Seats—every Row Had People Sitting In The Wrong Spot Who Had To Get Up And Move
Image source: mugglegrrl
#13 So It’s 3/4 Peppers… From The Right.. And It’s The Hottest?
Image source: TurtleBarn
There’s a good reason why simplicity matters so much. Think about how annoying it is when you spend five minutes trying to figure out which button starts your washing machine or have to click through half a dozen menus just to find something on a website.
Usability expert Jakob Nielsen has developed a set of guidelines for making digital products easier to use. One of his main points is that people shouldn’t have to remember complicated instructions when the information they need could simply be shown to them.
#14 I’ve Been Staring At This Sticker On The Bus For 8 Hours, And I Have No Idea What Is Trying To Say
Image source: notnotbrowsing
#15 Cangshan Knife Handles All Cracking At The Rivet (Despite Never Being Run In The Dishwasher)
Image source: in2bator
Another important thing designers need to consider is not just how something will work, but also who will be using it. This kind of approach is called human-centered design, and it involves putting yourself in the shoes of the people you’re designing for.
Sometimes, that means literally watching how people actually use a product, because what they do can be very different from what designers expect. After all, something that seems perfectly logical to its creator might leave everyone else scratching their heads.
#16 The Logo Of The European Space Agency (Esa) Just Looks Like Eesa
Image source: GreenEggsInPam
#17 That Does Not Look Like An “M”
Image source: Excel73_
#18 I’m Not Sure How To Hold This Coffee Mug
Image source: SilverNature3
#19 Reflective Tile In My Office Bathroom
Image source: Odd_Ingenuity_9950
#20 For A Second, I Thought It Was Binary!
Image source: iZraHell
#21 This Panda Plushie With, Apparently, Two Faces, I Found At A Claw Machine I Took My Baby Cousin To See In An Ice Cream Shop
Image source: AlisanBeDamned
#22 These New Peugeots Are Great, They Blind You With Glare On The Metallic Finish
Image source: ForeverSJC
#23 Couldn’t Find My Hotel Light Switch
Image source: Dragongal7
#24 The Tiles At The Hotel I’m Staying At. The Only Way I Know It’s Not Mold Is Because The Pattern Repeats In Other Parts Of The Bathroom
Image source: Spiritual-Wear-8694
#25 Poison Coffee (It’s Supposed To Read As “Up Tension”)
Image source: smkndofCJ
#26 My Walking Pad Remote Made The Traditional ⏯️ Button Catapult You To 3mph And I Hit It Every Time I Need To Pause The Workout
Image source: laundreedae
#27 Hard To Read The Menu At New Restaurant
Image source: diccc
#28 Hospital Bathroom Light Switch That Looks Just Like The Emergency Buzzer
Image source: lost_medic
#29 Uneven Surface, Bad Slope And Locked Down Wheelchair Access
Image source: mitrtown
#30 The And The
Image source: No-Actuary-1671
#31 What Is The Dadgum Expiration Date On This Chobani Yogurt Cup???
Image source: DunDonese
#32 Seen On An Airplane – What?
Image source: O_M_I_C
#33 This Chicken Tender At KFC Looks Like A Rat At First Glance
Image source: LobstahLive
#34 Backpack That Has Zippers On The Bottom Leading To The Main Bag That Open Up Automatically When You Put Too Much In
Image source: Outside-Refuse6732
#35 A Token Of Appreciation From My Boss. Only Points Down When Read Correctly
Image source: Lili-Saramira
#36 Eye Care For Cretins
Image source: Hopping_Glad
#37 I’m Sure They Make A Lunch Not Worth Losing
Image source: FinancialRice7291
#38 This Ear Thermometer Always Shows The Room Temperature Which Drains The Battery. It Requires A Battery Change Before Use Every Time Because Of It
Image source: Raqdoll_
#39 A Crosswalk To A Literal Dead End On The Other Side
Image source: rdevlin92
#40 I Was So Confused LOL , I Was Thinking “Made In A What”
Image source: MaintenanceDry9260
#41 I Read This As “Dpcphsptsthl” Because Someone Thought People Would Just *Know* To Approximate The Greek Letters To Their Rough Latin Lookalikes
Image source: bumbl_b_
#42 Airline Just Slapping A Jpeg On Their Plane
Image source: alphagusta
#43 This Pretty Much Unusable Chessboard Setup The City Built On My Street
Image source: GoraSou
#44 White-On-Black Barcode, That Couldn’t Be Scanned At The Register
Image source: korfi2go
#45 Took Me Sec To Understand What It Said. Tunashamed
Image source: OtherwiseExternal777
#46 Guess Which Is Which
Image source: Basmati1220
#47 Recently Bought This Drink, And Only Just Now Noticed That It Doesnt Say “Strawberry”, It Says “Stwrabrery”
Image source: t0oby101
#48 This Bath Foam Packaging Looks So Much Like Food That They Had To Put Up A Warning Sign Behind It
Image source: Lords_of_Misrule
#49 Ah Yes, A See-Through “Surprise” Egg
Image source: AsingleMiitopian46
#50 Pure Fun To Clean
Image source: Wermikulit
#51 They Used A Brown Gradient To Make The Logo Readable And Accidentally Giving The City A Post-Apocalyptic Smog
Image source: lazy_tenno
#52 Ad For Cosmetic Enhancements 👁👄👁
Image source: faraway_fern
#53 Ultra Bright Switchboard Leds
Image source: CarefulCurate
#54 These Stickers On The Escalator That Appear To Be Encouraging Children To Slide Down Outside The Railing
Image source: JoeBrownshoes
#55 The Least Appetizing Way To Present Sliced Meat In An Italian Supermarket
Image source: KyouCat
#56 Numbering System At A Therapists Office
Image source: Nearby_Inflation2009
#57 A Girl Smr
Image source: serena_violette
#58 Plastic Knobs Above The Grill. Awesome
Image source: BarryTownCouncil
#59 24/7 Help Line. But No Number Anywhere To Be Found
Image source: skyguy10ply
#60 Am I Dumb Or Does This Make No Sense?
Image source: TitoBlue_
#61 I Cannot See Anything Other Than “Pumpkon”
Image source: Mann_Peach
#62 Highly Accessible Sink I Found In A Japanese Restroom
Image source: wtclover
#63 The Van And Equipment At The Local Funfair’s Logo. They Advertise As Being Specifically Designed For Children; Somehow, I Have My Doubts
Image source: chonker-feet
#64 Toyota Proace Does Not Have Its Drivers Seat Centered To The Steering Wheel And Dashboard
Image source: Duffelbach
#65 I Love My Local Pizza Place But Dang If This Don’t Look Like Vomit
Image source: schweinhund89
#66 Good Luck Blind People!
Image source: PeakGroundbreaking61
#67 Found The Carpeted Sauna Again
Image source: soggyfrodo
#68 “Good Luck, Blind People” Part II. Braille On A Metal Sheet In The Burning Hot Greek Sun
Image source: Virtuosory
#69 Only Other Bathroom Aside From Primary Suite In Home W/ 2 Adults, 2 Young Kids. Where To Put Toothbrush, Hair (& Makeup) Stuff, Handsoap?! Terrible Children’s Bathroom Reno By Kim Wolfe On Hbo / Hgtv
Image source: catshifturr
#70 Public Benches That Have Holes But No Way To Clean Them
Image source: Roy_yiii
#71 Parking Bays, Nightmare To See As A Colorblind Person And Near Impossible To Park Within The Lines At Night. Should Have Been Solid White Lines
Image source: TraderNono
#72 This Ultra Sharp Knife Has No Way To Lock It Open Or Closed
Image source: someguywithdiabetes
#73 There’s A Special Place In Hell For Whoever Designed This Tape Measure With A Rounded Bottom So It Falls Over When You Put It Down To Mark Something
Image source: Tango91
#74 $200 Dollar Fan That I Can’t Turn Off The Lighting. It’s Blinding Bright
Image source: Medical-Net-7350
#75 The Headwacker 3000 At The Hotel I’m Staying
Image source: salty_lyfe
#76 Oh, Sorry, Did You Want To Watch The Tennis Match?
Image source: pbj45
#77 “Tear Away” Tag. So That Was A Lie
Image source: RayzTheRoof
#78 It’s From A Design School Too
Image source: Right-Dot4471
#79 Menu Only Available Through Reflective Qr Code
Image source: Professional_Shine97
#80 A Not So Wheelchair Accessible Door That Has A Push-To-Open Only On The Inside
Image source: ChubbyDucky48
#81 This Clipboard Packaging Is Applied Under The Metal Clip, So If You Rip It While Removing, It Gets Caught There Permanently
Image source: Competitive_Paper841
#82 New Front Steps From A Local Sub
Image source: SpringtimeInChicago
#83 Glum Restaurant And Lounge
Image source: ViaTheVerrazzano
#84 Ford Have Started Putting These Flimsy Fuel Filter Casings On Their Diesel Engines And They’re Barely A Step Up From Papermache. Colleague Didn’t Even Notice It Had Snapped While Removing Clip On Line
Image source: Titan5115
#85 My Dad Is Adamant On Adding A Window Here
Image source: Muted_Introduction26
#86 At First Glance I Didn’t Pick Up On What It Was Saying, I Was Thoroughly Confused. Also For A 19oz That’s Pitiful
Image source: Aedrikor
#87 Accessibility Is Key.. So Let’s Block It
Image source: Formal-Individual-44
#88 Absolute Worst Stove Replacement. Touch Screen That Doesn’t Register Some Of The “Buttons”
Image source: NotAverageEnough
#89 Wooden Marketplace Us Map Apparently Sold By Hobby Lobby Has Taken Some Serious Liberties With Borders
Image source: ZhouLe
#90 From The Ground Floor, Pressing The Uppermost Button Will Take You To -1
Image source: CommaSeparatedValu3s
#91 New Bike Rack At Local Supervalu Shop – Does This Mean You Can Or Can’t Park Your Bike?
Image source: BillyMooney
#92 Here Is A Side-By-Side Picture. This Is From Their Tropical Mix Bag. Two Flavors Both Use A Very Close Yellow. It’s Bad Design!
Image source: wiltony
#93 Apparently The Bot Hates The Fact That Calling Out The Ad Looking Like Peed Dating Was Not Enough To Point Out Bad Design
Image source: mysteryphotogatl
#94 My Kid’s Employee Information Form Had Her Struggling To Decide Between Checking The Checkboxes Or Circling Them…
Image source: Mattyi
#95 400€ BBQ, Black Text (Around The Turn Dials) On Black Background
Image source: CADyourLife
#96 If You See Say.. Something Something
Image source: capsulex21
#97 Impossible To Clean This Food Processor’s Bowl Handle
Image source: Due_Ad2549
#98 I Have An Irrational Fear Of Slipping And Being Impaled By This Bluey Soap With Pointy Plastic Ears
Image source: VoidAssembly
#99 Was Looking For A Bag But This One Doesn’t Look Very Spacious
Image source: theredalchemist
#100 Some People Don’t Understand What Those Tiles Are For
Image source: i_love_catYY
#101 Definitely The Best Way To Line Up This House Number And Lighting Fixture
Image source: diatriose
#102 Lets Put The Pledge Right On The Flag So Everyone Can Read It In Black Comic Sans
Image source: Crafty_Piece_9318
#103 Perforation Fail! Never Seen One Of These That Actually Works
Image source: SpecificSorry7233
#104 My New Zenbook 14 Gets Discolored Each Time You Touch It Even If Your Hands Are Clean
Image source: Fair_Oven5645
#105 Only One Toilet With A Door In Woman’s Restroom
Image source: effervescenteel
#106 They Could Have Made It So Simple
Image source: slyfox49
#107 Nothing Left? So Goon!
Image source: bancaletto
#108 Perfectly Camouflaged Door Stopper To Stub Your Toes
Image source: wtclover
#109 I Don’t Know The Difference?
Image source: pargonaut
#110 Keurig Made Coffee Machines Impossible To Clean Properly
Image source: Most_Tackle_3620
#111 I Don’t Think They Know The Purpose Of Directional Block Tactiles
Image source: I_am_from_2029
#112 Tactile Paving Obstacle Race
Image source: BananaramaKing
#113 The Vertical Bunny Rabbit Logo Didn’t Fit On The Horizontal Banner So They Just Chopped Off Its Head And Put It On The Ground
Image source: Captain-Dak-Sparrow
#114 This Lemon Squeezer Packaging Demonstrates How To Use It Incorrectly
Image source: NorthlightV
#115 Common Strip Mall Issue. If You Are Going To Provide Protection From The Elements, Why Not Actually Provide Continuous Coverage So That Patrons Can Move Between Businesses Without Getting Wet?
Image source: FormerPersimmon3602
#116 Light From Bathroom At 3am In A Hotel Room. Why Can’t It Be A Solid Door
Image source: Johnnysins69120
#117 The Plastic Of This Container Lid Is Weaker Than The Bond Between It And The Container Itself
Image source: jukefishron
#118 These Type Of Stop Buttons On Busses In Gothenburg, Sweden – Can’t Tell You How Many Times I’ve Accidentally Pushed It With My Leg
Image source: Low_Key_Giraffe
#119 This Walmart Has Cart Wheels That Lock When You Cross A Sensor, To Keep People From Stealing Them. They Put The Sensor Inside The Parking Lot So Most Carts Lock Up
Image source: devilsbard
#120 Stainless Steel Clothes Drying Rack.. Except The Screws
Image source: eru777
#121 This ATM Is Too Close To The Drive-Through Teller. When The Teller Is In Use You Can’t Get To The ATM Unless You Get Out Of Your Car
Image source: leahmd93
#122 The Gap Between Seat And Rail Is So Narrow, It’s Impossible To Pass Through And Sit In The Middle. Same From The Other Side Of The Desk
Image source: Vidy_Animates
#123 The Stairs To My Bedroom Have A Half Step At The Top
Image source: AcidicSlimeTrail
#124 No, It Is Not The Actual Size
Image source: Senor_Diablo
#125 First Aid Kit Needs To Be Opened Using Two Fingers Of Each Hand
Image source: EletricoAmarelo
#126 So That’s Where It Comes From
Image source: ralseiwantsyourip
#127 The Word “Choice” And The Look On This Man Seem A Bit Disconnected
Image source: Best_Entertainment52
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